'An Instagram post may have saved our baby's life'

Laura Bradbury-Stewart says online advice prompted her to seek medical attention for her newborn son

A couple whose newborn baby developed a potentially fatal infection have said they were alerted to the signs by an Instagram post.

Matt and Laura Bradbury-Stewart from Frome, Somerset, said their son had become drowsy in the days after birth and grew less interested in feeding.

While Ms Bradbury-Stewart was looking at Instagram for sleep advice, she came across a post by the Lullaby Trust warning of the signs of dangerous infections in babies. She realised her son was ill and he was quickly taken to an intensive care unit.

Mr Bradbury-Stewart said: "We both wonder, if Laura hadn't seen that Instagram post, whether [our baby] would be with us now."

Matt and Laura Bradbury-Stewart were unsure if their baby's drowsiness was normal

Their son, who is now one, was delivered at 37 weeks by C-section, following a complicated pregnancy.

"For the first few days, he was feeding fine and occasionally he opened his eyes," his mother said.

"[He] is our first baby and we really didn't know if this was normal or not. On his third day at home, he wouldn't wake up or take milk."

After seeing the Instagram post, Ms Bradbury-Stewart checked his temperature and realised it was too low.

He was taken to hospital, where staff confirmed he was having breathing apnoeas that were temporarily pausing his breathing.

Mr Bradbury-Stewart said: "From there he was warmed, given antibiotics, put on equipment to help his breathing and taken to neonatal intensive care."

He spent a week there, before returning home. The family's story is now being shared as part of the Lullaby Trust's week of raising awareness about the risks of infections in babies.

Ellen Lithgow, from the Lullaby Trust, which works to keep babies safe and support those grieving, said families should never feel like a "nuisance" for seeking out help for their babies.

She said: "Around a third of parents or carers have delayed seeking help for their baby due to being unsure whether they need medical help or not – and it can be really difficult to tell when your baby has an infection.

"So our message to parents is: you know your baby best, so trust your instincts and if you feel that something's not quite right, contact your midwife, your GP or NHS 111."